Even After All These Years
by wyrdwolf77
Summary: Kohta thought "Nyuu"/"Lucy" had died, but the truth was, she was waiting. Watching... Wishing... Wanting to be with Kohta once more.
1. Chapter 1 Waiting

Kanae:

I watched as Kohta found the note I had left all those years ago, and was silent as a single tear fell down my face. Every year… the same thing happened, and each time, I found myself unable to approach him. He believed me to be dead, and for a time, so did I.

But the truth is, he had killed "Lucy". The part of me that NEEDED to kill… Now all that was left was the part of me that desperately longed to be in his arms. To live in that house once more. With the only family I had ever known.

But, Kohta seemed happy. Most of the time… More than he had ever been when I was around. His cousin, as much as I disliked her, made him happy. Was that so terrible? I could feel old emotions swirling, the answer to kill her. I shook my head, watching as he receded from the trees. Back to the house I had grown to love, before my own idiocy had ruined everything.

The truth was, as much as I fought it, the instinct to kill was still there… but it was like before…

Only waiting in the wings, to become apart of me once more. I refused to let that happen.


	2. Chapter 2 Hurting

(Note: Yes Im aware they "Had kids" Im going to pretend they didn't for the purpose of this fan fiction. Thanks)

Kohta:

I returned to the house, feeling empty. The note was back where I had found it, along with a part of my heart. I had no idea… How long had she felt that way?

My mind went back to our… To when we had kissed.

To when she had died.

I slammed my fist into the side paneling of the house, tears falling freely down my face.

"Damn you, Lucy!" I yell, using her "true" name, for the first time in … ever? I felt my stomach drop, and I didn't bother to move, my fist still against the panels. I sink to my knees, my heart heavy with what seemed like lead. "Damn you, Damn you, DAMN YOU!" I whisper, my voice rising to a yell at the end.

She had died for me, so this was essentially my fault. Not that Yuka didn't try her best, to fill the void. I felt a never ending guilt, because my feelings for her… could never compare. Memories of my childhood, spent with Lucy on those stolen summer days, threatened to tear me apart.

I had yelled at her before she died.

I had been filled with an unspeakable rage.

And it was all my fault. No matter what. It was my fault.

I wished with all of my being that I could see her once more… Apologize… Hold her… Ki-

"Kohta?"

I turn, and there Yuka stood, wearing a simple dress.

"You're barefoot, you'll catch cold," I murmur, my voice tight. I didn't look up, only down at her bare feet and the ground.

"Kohta, come inside with me." She murmured, her voice soft, but insistant. I felt irritation prick acrossed me, and I nod curtly.

"I will be in, now go! I wish to be alone."

And with that, she left.


	3. Chapter 3 Reveal

Lucy:

I slept fitfully that night, the first in a long stretch of empty hours filled with the dark that I had remembered my dreams.

There I stood, Kanae's lifeless form bleeding at my fight. Kohta's pain etched face, howling in misery.

"Why? I thought you were my friend!" He yelled, his voice broken as I was broken. I wished I could convey to him the turmoil I felt inside, the pain and pure… loneliness that had made me sink to the depths of murder. I couldn't apologize, this was afterall his fault. He was a human.

The dream shifted.

Kohta and I at the zoo, one of the last days we had spent together in our innocence. Or I suppose in his innocence, for I had never been what one could call innocent. Not feeling alone… for the first time feeling like I could truly trust another. It was a feeling not worn upon me, and I seemed to radiate with the light it provided me internally.

That last night, before the festival.

"You're cousin… you said she's a girl right?"

"Y…yes." He had hesitated. I should have seen through his lie then… but like a fool… I did not.

That next day, finding Kohta and his cousin at the festival. The two of them laughing. The hurt and betrayal that threatened to destroy me. That night that I had finally lost myself.

Killed all of those people.

And Kanae had seen.

On the train. Seeing Kohta, and being filled with an anger unlike anything before. Wanting to kill him, but for some reason, not having the strength to release my vectors upon him. His sister trying to explain what had happened… Me killing her before he would ever be able to apologize.

When I had given my life for Kohta, as he had for I. Even when I was filled with unspeakable pain, I would like to think that I managed a smile. If only for him. Because, he really was my only reason not to lose myself sooner than what I had. He deserved better than the company of a Diclonius.

Better than the company of a… of a murderer.

I woke on the dirt ground, hidden by a patch of sharp grass. Tears were rolling down my face, which for myself seemed out of character. But I didn't even know who I was anymore. I wasn't Lucy, or so I hoped. I wanted to hold true to my promise. That I wouldn't kill any longer. For Kohta.

I found that I missed Kohta's company often, and liked the idea that I often drempt about him, even if it were untrue. For, this was the first time I could recall a dream in a very long time. And the first time it hadn't been about my conquering of the humans. Of my destiny.

I shook my head, No, I mustn't think like that. I could feel my vectors, twitching and churning within me, wanting to be released upon something. _someone._

"_NO!" I yell, my voice shrill and high, something new to me. Had my voice always been this way? Was this the voice my counterpart… the stupid part of myself… Nyuu had? I fought to remember, but I couldn't. My personality was no longer split apart. I was simply… me. The girl, the Diclonii that Kohta had met all those years ago. _

_The girl… that I would like to think that he at one time loved. Key word: lovED. Past tense. _

_But… Kohta would always be special to me. Even if I couldn't be apart of his life. _

_I knew I could never live with him again, for I had seen the pain in his eyes that last time we were together. Perhaps because I was lost to him. But wasn't I already? I had failed him. …. I had ruined everything he loved, and the only thing I could give to him in return… was for me to stay out of his life as much as possible. To let him think that I had died. _

_Which was what I likely deserved. _

_But even now, Kohta wasn't happy. Yuka didn't make him as happy as I once did, which as selfish as it was, brought a smile of satisfaction to my lips. _

_I would never be fond of Yuka, because in my mind… she was what had destroyed me all those years ago. Even if in truth, it was my own jealousy. I couldn't bear to feel the burden of this shame upon myself, so I placed it on her. As a result, every time I saw her, a white-hot flame of fury built up inside of me. _

"_Damn you, Yuka." I whisper, as I watch her attempt to embrace Kohta. Normally, he is compliant, but never giving much in return to her hormonal ways. But, this time, he fully embraced her._

_I could hear her soft moans as his lips grazed her neck, and then her collarbone. I felt anger boiling inside of me, and I could hear someone inside of the house. Had they no shame?_

_I felt my vectors release, and I struggled to maintain control of the … pure… enragement I felt. _

_Then, to my surprise, Kohta completely pushed her away. I could see him saying something, and hear her yelling after him as he walked towards the trees. He ignored her. For a moment, she began to follow him, but then thinking better of it, she went back inside the house. _

_He looked up at the tree I was in for a moment, almost as if he could see me, and I froze. All of me wanted him to see me, acknowledge me, but he kept walking. I let out a sigh of relief, for if he had seen me… he would have to come to terms of all the horrors I had committed. To him, and to his kind as a whole. My entire existence was that of a horror story, told to young humans at night to keep them in check. _

_The thought amused me, my being something to be shared? Told as a story even? Impossible._

_After a few steps, he completely stopped and slid down to the ground, leaning against a tree. The tree where my note I had left him lied. I watched as he found it, and read it once again. His lips moving silently, re-reading what had filled him with such sadness not many nights before. _

_Sadness, and anger. I recalled him punching the side of his house, and winced slightly. I shift my weight, and almost fall, my vectors gripping onto the branch._

_I see a few leaves falling around Kohta as a result, and I bite my lip in hopes that he overlooks it. And overlook it he does, for his head went into his hands._

"_Oh dammit, Lucy," I could hear him whisper, and I feel color drain from my face. Now he was calling me… Lucy? "I'm sorry!" He yelled, looking up, his face raw with emotion. I felt that I wasn't the only one he was apologizing to, and someone where deep within in, I hoped Kanae could hear and forgive him from wherever she was. "Why did you have to kill her?" He suddenly cried out, tears leaking down his left cheek._

_I fought the urge to go to the ground, and comfort him. But what comfort would I be? I would only be a reminder, of the day that brought him pain even still._

"_I forgive you, Lucy!" And with that, my breath was knocked out of me. I let out a low noise, in surprise more than anything, and then held my breath when he jumped to his feet. "L-lucy?" He whispered, his voice broken in a way that made me hurt inside. I made a decision, and dropped to the ground with a thud, my vectors breaking my fall._

_His eyes widen, and his breath comes out in short gasps. I could see pain contort on his face, and I immediately regret my decision-making skills. _

"_I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't ha-" I begin, but he interrupts me with his lips upon mine. My mind races, my vectors releasing off of the ground, and causing me to fall into his arms. He maintains his balance, and my hands press against his chest. Something he possibly misinterprets. I could feel his tears staining my face, and his hands running down my back in a circular motion. _

"_NO!" I roar, pushing against him with all of my strength, without using my vectors. I hadn't come down here to kiss Kohta, whether he wanted to or not. _

_(And that's all for today. Im splitting this chapter in half because it's a longish one this time. Reviews/Comments?)_


	4. Chapter 3 Reveal Part 2

**AN: Thank you "Hatfield" - (Anonymous) for your review. I wasn't planning on posting another chapter tonight, but for the hell of it, I will. **

**Also, sorry that part of that last chapter was italicized… my computer must have spazzed out . **

**This is part 2 of Chapter 3. Which is now in Kouta's POV.**

**Thanks. **

**Kouta:**

**My lips were against hers, as had been haunting my dreams. Thoughts of Yuka left me, and pure desire and sorrow filled me like an ache that never fades. My lips yearned against hers, but she had turned to stone in my arms, losing her balance even. This was not the strong and murderous Lucy I had known, nor was this the innocent and seemingly impulsive Nyuu. This was the girl I had known on those summers not so long ago.**

**This was Kaede.**

**I felt her press against my chest, but chose to ignore it, my feverish urges becoming more and more overwhelming. I feel tears rolling down my face, and she seems to pause for a moment, as do I. **

**But then, she is out of my arms. **

"**NO!" She roars, and I mask the hurt I feel in response to that, with numbness. **

"**Why? Why did you wait so long?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. She says nothing, not meeting my gaze with her eyes. "Why? Why did you do this Kaede. To you. To me. ….. To us." I murmur, my voice raising in volume. Still she says nothing, but I hear a low sigh escape her lips. I place my hands on her shoulders, "LOOK AT ME!" I yell, my voice reverberating a crossed the trees. Slowly, her head tilted upward and her eyes met mine. The red in her eyes… haunting, intense… yet incapacitating all the same, they drew me in, like that first day we met. **

"**I shouldn't have stayed." She murmured, her eyes holding contact with mine for a long moment, before breaking away. The words she said… so evenly and without emotion… were like a slap in the face. I recoiled, my ego slightly wounded. But moreso than that… my hopes shattered.**

"**Kaede, do you know how long… How damned long… I dreamed, and hoped, and WISHED! For just a GLIMPSE of you? AND YOU WERE ALIVE THE WHOLE TIME!" I see her flinch at my words, and I immediately wish I could take them back, because when she looks at me there is pain in her eyes that is otherworldly. **

"**I know exactly how long, Kohta." She whispers, and I notice a single tear rolling down her cheek. I slowly extend my hand, and when she doesn't make an attempt to move or slap my hand away, I brush away the tear.**

"**You're not Lucy anymore. There's no reason to stay hidden." I murmur, coming to an understanding of her motives. She shook her head, slowly and with an agonized and slightly crazed look pulsing in her eyes. **

"**I don't know who I am anymore. You killed who I was." She murmured, her voice a low monotone. Emotionless. I looked at her, pleading with my eyes for her to be the Kaede I knew and had grown to love. Or even Nyuu…**

**But not this pained and tortured girl, who was only the ghost of who I knew she was. That, somehow, hurt even worse than if she was dead.**


	5. Chapter 4: Instinct

**AN: Aww… No reviews this time? That's ok.. I honestly don't even expect or assume that anyone is reading this in the first place. Its really my first try for an ongoing fan fiction… So I suppose we'll see how it goes? A'ight? **

**Oh, and suggestions are greatly appreciated in regards to POV, and etc. Anything really…**

Kaede:

I couldn't hold Kohta's gaze for more than a moment at a time. Kohta…

His name seemed to echo in my mind, repeating itself a million times. Kohta…..

My childhood friend. _He never cared for you… He loves Yuka_

The only person I ever gave a damn about _And what did he give you in return? Nothing. _

The only person… The only… _You being here is only causing him pain. Put him out of his misery._ I felt my vectors twitch anxiously. Could I do it… could I kill Kohta?

_Kill him. He lied to you all those years ago. _But… But I…

_He never cared about you. _Yes he does… I could feel another tear running down my cheek. Kohta's hand brushed this one away aswell, and I sank to my knees, fighting the urge to cry out.

_Even now, he still doesn't care. _Yes he does… He's here right now…

_What are you fighting for? This is who you are… _

"NO ITS NOT!" I yell, clapping my hands over my ears, and curling into a ball on the rough dirt. I could hear Kohta speaking softly, but not even he… Not even Kohta… could end the voice that threatened to tear me apart. I could feel his hands touching my shoulders, almost hesitantly, as if I would fall apart. I was not weak, and somehow his being gently infuriated me.

_Even now, his human nature underestimates you. You ARE weak. You don't have to be. You could prove him wrong. You could show him who the weaker of the two of you is. Embrace who you are… Diclonius… Lucy._

"I'M NOT LUCY!" I scream, my voice hollow and raw, and my weight collapses beneath me and I fall face first against the ground. Tears streamed down my face, and I let out a low noise that I didn't recongnize. I could hear Kohta, still speaking to me softly, rubbing circles into my back.

Somehow, this enraged me. I brought my vectors out, and hovered them around Kohta, who still had no idea he was in any danger.

_Kill him… He betrayed you… Even now… He's only going to go back to Yuka. Just like before, he has no intention of staying with you. He's going to turn his back on you, just like everyone else. Because he is Human._

_I feel my body pulsing with the raw anger… raw instinct that was overtaking me, more and more every moment. _

"_I can't…" I whisper, my vectors receding, if only a little. _

"_You can do anything, Kanae." _

_Kanae. He had used my name… somehow that shatters everything back into perspective, and my vectors are immediately out of sight… And I proceed to cry, heavily. My tears stain the front of his shirt, as I cry into his chest. His hand stroked my hair, and his whispered to me, but I couldn't make it out._

"_What's wrong…?" He asked, his voice soft and not in the least demanding. I cough, choking on my own disgust for myself. _

"_I… I can't tell you." I whisper, my entire core being shattered. And he nods, not pressing it any further, unlike the Kohta I used to know. I suppose we had both changed, because the Kanae he knew… never would have broken down like this. _

_Of course, the Kanae he knew also wasn't a murderer. So I suppose we both had our faults in getting to know one another. _

_Somehow, his lips met mine, and this time I didn't resist. I wondered how many times, during those months before summer, I thought about his lips. Wondered what they would feel like against mine, but then immediately dismissed such thoughts. For who could love me?_

_His mouth was hardened, by desire, and I could feel his tongue prodding my lips. I tensed my arms slightly, refusing to budge my lips apart. _

"_Kanae…" He murmurs, giving up and kissing my hair softly. I see him wince slightly, and I crack a smile. I hadn't bathed in… about a week and a half. And when I DID bathe, it was merely using a stream I had come a crossed. I couldn't bring myself to leave these woods… because I would never… ever…be put in that lab again. "You should come back to the house with me," He murmurs, his lips grazing over my cheek. _

"_No." I murmur, shaking my head. I can see disappointment in his eyes, but the thought of Yuka… "I can't." _

"_Why not?" His eyes were wide… filled with an innocence I hadn't seen since that first summer. As he got older… Kohta grew more mature… And he lost his curiosity. And his innocence. _

"_Yuka." I mutter, my voice raw. I figured it best to be blunt, and I see him wince at mention of her name. After all, hadn't he just kissed her, not too long ago? I pull myself out of his arms, and stand up. "It's just not a good idea." _

_He nods, but his mind was working. He had the look he always got when he was trying to come up with an idea. _

"_I'll be back tomorrow. Promise." He murmurs, and then he leaves. And I am alone once more as he sprints to the main house. _


	6. Chapter 5: Decide

AN: The end part of that last chapter was italizied because she was half-out of it… falling aleep, etc. And I may have typed "Kanae" instead of "Kaede" a few times. My bad.

Kaede:

Had I fallen asleep? I feel a cool breeze rush around me, making me tremble as I tighten my hold of my arms around my knees. The side of my face was numb, from laying in the rough brush, and my hands were blistered from clawing the dirt as I had my usual nightmares.

_I'll be back later…_

Had he meant it?

The sun had not yet risen, or maybe it was nightfall of the next day. I didn't keep track of time very well, and my stomach tightened in hunger. Food…

I'd been eating scraps that I would find in Kohta's waste bin for the past year and a half… before that, I had merely wandered around. Far enough away that no one would recongnize me, and if anyone did… I would let them kill me.

_No you wouldn't. You could never let a human finish you off…_

I feel tears spring in my eyes. What was this other part of me…It was tearing me apart, through and through.

I found myself longing for Kohta, wanting to feel his hand in mine. I wanted to place my hand against his chest, to cry in his arms. To be human.

_You'll never be human. You're not meant to be human. You are the diclonii… The beginning and the end of mankind. Embrace who you are, Lucy._

"I'M NOT LUCY, DAMMIT!" I yell, my voice raw from crying in my sleep. Probably screaming too.

I hear a branch break, and I rise into a crouch almost instantly, my vectors released and hovering on either side of me. Waiting.

"Lu-…Kaede!" I hear Kohta whisper-shout. I still don't move, this could be a trap. They could be taking me back, to a place worse than death. Where all I hear are my own screams and the cries of my own kind… in that hell hole of a place. Waiting for death, hoping everyday was the last… crying every time I woke and realized I was still living.

I feel tears streaming down my face, falling to the ground before me. I felt utterly worn out, and I knew that I hadn't been getting enough sleep as of recent.

"Koh…ta." I choke out huskily as my hands lose their bearings on the ground beneath me. My vectors still held me, as I placed my hands on my face and let the tears fall.

I couldn't remember crying after I had embraced the dark side of me. Actually, I felt nothing… but what could be called by some, happiness. But it wasn't real happiness.

_Yes it was Kaede. . . It could be happiness. You could make something of yourself. Be worthy of Kohta._

Be worthy… of Kohta?

_Protect Kohta. From all the humans who could kill him. Kill them before they can ever present a danger._

I shake my head. If anyone was a danger to Kohta, it was me. I flinch at the thought of how close I had come to killing him… far too many times.

I feel Kohta wrap his arms around my shoulders, without giving a warning. I lay my forehead against his shoulder, soaking in his warmth against my freezing body.

"Please come inside… you're freezing." He pleads, his lips against my ear. I shudder, whether at the sound of his voice or by the cold that threatened to eat me away, I am unsure.

I shake my head, "Yuka." He nods in understanding, but I could tell he was concerned.

_He's not concerned. He only plans on hurting you… like before._

"_Yuka is out of town… that's why I left last night… She is going out of town for a few weeks. To see her family. A cousin on her side of the family is getting married, so I gave her my best wishes… and given the current situation," He pauses to pull me away from his shoulder, and gently strokes the side of my cheek, "I decided it would be more… beneficial if I stayed here." I frown, still unsure if I should go to his house… familiar yet stranger at the same time. _

"_I still don't think it is a good idea…" I trail off, looking into his eyes and reaching my final decision. "I'll come… but only as long as Yuka…." I murmur, anxiety tearing away at my stomach, along with my insatiable hunger for Kohta's company. _

_Whatever there was to come from this… I knew it would only last for so long… but I was… for the first time in a long time, truly happy. _


	7. Chapter 6: Maybe Not

AN: I was thinking… I should really have a regular time as to how often I post this… Any input? Once a night (unlikely, but I'd try), Once a week… ?

Also, any ideas for the story? POV, content, etc.

Reviews are appreciated.

Also, Im sorry for the portions the should NOT be italizied… I will get around to fixing that at some point.

Sorry, this is a short Chapter, but I had a huge English project, and Im not assuming much of anyone is reading it, or wants me to continue… so yeah.

Kaede

I felt a pressure against my waist, and a light stoke on my cheek. I feel my muscles tense, and the gentle motion on my face stop.

"Hey there." I feel warm air brush against my ear, and I tighten my hands into fists. My eyes were not yet open, and I knew I was no longer in the woods.

"Kaede?" I feel sweet smelling hot air brush over my face, and I stiffen. Who was holding me here, was I back at that… place? Images of my life after being captured… taken… to save that girl who died anyway fly through my mind. I release my vectors, and wait a moment before opening my eyes.

I push the arm wrapped around me away, and scramble to my feet, and look wildly forward. And I see… Kohta.

"Kaede.. Are you ok?" He murmurs, a trace of fear in his eyes. I look behind me, seeking the source of the fear that illuminated his gaze. But I see nothing, and then I am filled with understanding. Me.

"I shouldn't be here." I murmur, meeting his eyes full force. The fear that filled them a minute ago doesn't completely fade, but is diluted by something else. It was a different kind of fear, and a different kind of longing than that I had ever seen.

I tried to compare it to the looks I had seen him give Yuka, but nothing accurately compared.

"Don't." He chokes out, somehow standing directly in front of me. When had he closed the foot and a half gap between us? He places his hand on the side of my face, turning me to meet his gaze. "Don't leave me again, Kaede." And then, he kissed me.


	8. Chapter 7: Fear

Kohta:

I felt her lips against mine, and this time she was responding to the kiss. One of her hands lightly stroked the side of my face in a way that made me shudder. I felt a tear falling down my cheek, _I had missed her so much…_

"Please… Don't leave me again." I murmur, my eyes pleading with hers to stay. She closed her eyes for a moment, and I could see the debate upon her face.

"Yuka." It only took that one word for everything around me to crash down. I had agreed to marry Yuka, and I had internally regretted it since. But I knew that I would never be happy without Kaede, so I thought it best for at least one of us to be happy. She had wanted children, but I had always refused… I couldn't picture fathering anyone. Not when.. Not…

I felt more tears following these ones. Out of anger. Out of pain. Out of sadness.

"She doesn't matter. Not to me. Not anymore." I murmur, my voice rough. Kaede only shook her head slowly.

"This won't work, Kohta. I'm not… good enough." I could hear her voice break on that last word, and now it was she who had tears flowing freely down her face.

"It has to. Tell me what I need to do. I need you in my life Kaede." I plead, my hands were shaking as I held her closer to me. I couldn't bear to let her go. After all these years of thinking she was dead. Having nightmares every night, reliving her last breaths. .. Out last fight before she died.

"No. Kohta. I don't… I don't WANT this to work out…" She murmured, her voice wavering in a way that I knew her words were a lie.

"Yuka isn't home for another week. Minimum. At least… at least give me until then?" I murmur, grasping for any time with her. Anything.

"That's… fine. I will stay here. With you. But only until she returns. Then I leave, and you can be happy once more with her."

I bite my lip to keep from arguing. I wouldn't ever be happy with Yuka. Not now that I knew the taste of her lips once more, not now that I knew the sound of her voice saying my name, not now that I had seen her. Alive.

God had I missed her, I needed her, I wanted her.

"Kohta?" She murmurs, her eyes piercing through me with such a pain that I wanted to hold her, forever until I could make that pain end. What horrible things had this girl gone through before Yuka and I found her that one day. That first day. On the beach. Back when she was Nyuu… "Kohta?" She insists, and I tilt my head slightly, indicating for her to continue. "I'm afraid."

Kaede was afraid? Of what?

Images flashed through my mind. Her killing mercilessly. Cold hard steel-like eyes. Piercing through me.

Then, a clueless girl, without a care in the world. Only able to utter a single word for the longest time, Nyuu.

But Kaede… the girl I had met as a kid. During those warm summer months, made bearable by her presence. There was always a fear within her. A pain. An anger. But I never found out why.

I only ever knew that I cared for her. That she was my best friend.

And now I hoped for more than that. I needed more than that.

I was in love with the girl with the horns. Murderer or not. Human or not.

"Why are you afraid?" I could feel my voice shaking with anger, anything that could make a girl… this innocent… this perfect… this seemingly upset, deserved beyond Hell in my mind.

"I-I don't want to be taken back." She murmured, her eyes seeing something I wasn't. Memories most likely. She had thrashed all night long in her sleep, crying out every few hours, waking me up.

"Go back where…?" I whisper, knowing that telling me would cause her pain, but in the long run might alleviate it in the future.

"The place…where… I was taken. They killed her. Because of me. They died. I killed them." She whispers, trembling. "They.. They promised. But she died anyway. She was… my only friend. And she died, because of me. I just… I just wanted somewhere to live. I wanted to fit in… I wanted.. I wanted…" She bursts into tears, trembling and shaking with fear and anger and sadness beyond with which I knew what to do.

"Shh…" I murmur, holding her tightly in my arms. "It's ok… No one is taking you away from me." I murmur, and as I spoke the words, I realized I was making a promise to myself. I couldn't lose her again. No matter the cost.

And the people who had made this once strong girl, this once innocent… this once youthful girl, be in this much pain… I would kill them.

I mentally recoiled in surprise. I was hardly a murderer, but I couldn't bring myself to take back that last thought. Because, surely they deserved death. They deserved to die.

I couldn't imagine how sick you would have to be, to destroy a person so fully that this is the result. I lean over, and kiss her partially shattered "horns" and hear her choke out another sob.

_**I never wanted to let her go, but sometimes fate decides things for you.**_


	9. Chapter 8: Temptation

**AN: Here we go, as promised… **

**Kohta: **

**The look on Kaede's face as I prepared what used to be her favorite foods when she had lived with us, was priceless. Her eyes seemed to light up with something that was new, even for her, and the room seemed to shine with her radiance. **

**I'd never seen anyone scarf down food the way she had, and it reminded me of when "Nyuu" had first started living with us. I shake my head, somber with memories of the past. They had always haunted me, and even now they did, even when the memory sat in front of me in the flesh. My eyes dared not to leave her, as if she were a spirit that could fade if my eyes left her own. Her face showed that of someone that had faced horrors I can't imagine, and so seeing her find simplistic joys illuminated what really matters. The necessities. And she, believe it or not, was a necessity to me. **

**My mind kept wandering to how I would leave Yuka, because that was really the only answer. I wouldn't be able to hold up the pretense of a happy marriage whilst knowing that everything that mattered lied in this girl before me. This shattered angel that was filled with pain I couldn't compare to in a thousand years. Her eyes alone told a tale of misfortune that her horns proved true, and I knew that every day was yet another struggle. It depressed me to know that the world had so drastically destroyed that which was better internally than all of us combined. **

**She stood up, done with her late breakfast… more of a midday meal if any… and I did the dishes whilst she bathed herself. She assured me that she could handle herself, and that if she needed anything she would yell, however masculine temptation struck me more than once. But my respect for her outran the impulses that were making my very hands tremble. I shook my head, trying to force myself to concentrate on the matter at hand. Dishes. It stuck me then how stunningly boring of a chore it really was, and I began to grow impatient for Kaede to finish with her bathing. I mentally scolded myself, noting that patience was a virtue I had yet to possess. Although, if memory served well, Kaede had a similar problem. **

**I thought back to our childhood, and a slow (yet sure) smile bloomed upon my face. I closed my eyes, feeling as if I could so much as bask in the very sun that had shone that day, brighter than any other simply because of her presence. How the smallest things never ceased to amaze her, and how her naivety was never to be confused with ignorance. I wished that I had known how special she really was… wished that I hadn't taken her for granted. I felt a tear forming in the corner of my eye, and I willed it with all of my inner being to go away. I couldn't have Kaede seeing me cry over a former memory, especially when the cause for tears was no longer there. For she was alive, and not just that, but residing with me for the time being. I didn't so much have a reason to cry, unless it were to be out of joy. **

**I could hear her walking down the hallway, and I opened my mouth to ask if she was alright as I turned around to face her, but all my words became trapped in my throat at the sight of her. Her skin was… barren, and in her arms were her own soiled clothes. **

"**It would seem a defeat of purpose if I put dirty clothes back on directly after bathing myself, wouldn't you agree?" She murmured, her eyes meeting mine full on. It took everything I had to keep my eyes from straying, and I wouldn't have been surprised if I had heart failure there and on the spot. Although, that would be a bit dramatic, even for the situation. I barely managed a nod, and a slight smile came upon her, and I needn't ask her why. **

"**Um… There should be clothes in the bedroom, something of Y-Yuka's would surely fit you, or so I would assume." I stammer, not knowing much of women and sizes and clothing and what not. She nodded briefly, heading back down the hallway and taking a left at the bedroom door, my eyes not leaving her for a second. **

**I take a deep breath, wanting to both save myself from embarrassment and wanting to save Kaede from my own male faults. If only she even knew. **


	10. Chapter 9: Impulse

AN: Turns out there is an anime con where I live in a few months. I need to get my first ever cosplay outfit in gear. Guess who I'm going as? Lucy/Nyu. God I'm so excited. I'm keeping tabs on Ebay for a cheap but nice looking wig, I'm going to make some Diiclonius Horns, and I am looking at sewing the green hat. As for the clothes… Well, That can be the next battle. Lol.

Kaede:I couldn't understand why Kohta had suddenly grown so uncomfortable, and with a sigh I walked into the bedroom that I assumed he and Yuka had shared. I wondered if they had attempted to mate, but given by Yuka's lack of smaller humans, I took that as a negative. Unless she was infertile. I preferred the first option, and was filled with jealousy I knew not how to contend with upon thoughts of another possibility. I walked over to the side table, and opened the drawer. Inside, alongside "normal" undergarments were a few more revealing pieces that made me internally cringe. I quickly grabbed what I needed, along with one of Kohta's shirts and a pair of pants that were a little long for me. I wondered if Yuka was still taller than me. I quickly got dressed, and when I opened the bedroom door, it seemed that Kohta was still in the kitchen where I had left him. My assumption was proved correct when I found him in the same spot, his features frozen in place as they had been before. "Kohta?" I murmur, hesitant in my speech. I wondered if he was hurt in some way, or if somehow my presence alone had made him fall ill. He remained silent for some time, and at some point had grabbed ahold of my hand. My vectors twitched anxiously, but it was a new type of anxiety. I feared not for my safety, but for his, and it was something new to me.

"Sorry.. You just…" He trailed off, his eyes scanning over me in a way that made my face grow warm. "Is that my shirt?" He then asked, his voice low and gravelly, and something along the lines of seductive. I could only nod, foreign emotions and temptations giving me the likeness of whiplash. He kissed my forehead, and I felt the warmth of his breath washing over my eyes as his hands found my back. We stayed in that warm embrace for some time, neither of us wanting to move. It was then that his lips began to travel, and I didn't fight it.

The warmth of his mouth paused upon my lips, and I met him at his distance giving him the lightest of a facial embrace. He made a low sound, of surprise I believe, and came upon me with force and passion unlike anything I had ever seen with Yuka. His hands tightened against my back, trailing down my spine. I arched my back in pleasure that was a shock to me, for never before had I had this intimacy, or the feelings that accompanied. It felt wrong, almost as if it were a heavenly delight that a servant of satan himself should not partake, but partake I did. Never did I want this moment to end, for Kohta… he had become my escape from the harsh reality that was myself.

His mouth had found its way to my throat, and my hands to his hair. First gently, and then with force, I tousled his black locks. He gave no indication of being in pain, and I had no control within me to stop, so continue we did. I felt a wall pressed behind me, and he put all of his members against mine. I couldn't understand what he was trying to do, but still I didn't stop him. It was as if his own pleasure was stimulating everything in my being. It seemed possible for the first time that I had more humanity in me than I had previously realized.

"Kohta." I whisper, his body giving a tremble as a response. His kisses and touches became more feverish, more frenzied, and I could feel an etch of sadness in his embrace. "What is wrong?" I could feel paranoia illuminating my features, and my body stiffen as a natural response. Fear was rising in me, for his sadness created a pain like no other, and I didn't know how to alleviate it. His hands guided themselves under my shirt, and puzzlement filled me.

"Nothing." He breathed, warm air billowing softly against my ear. A sweet scent filled my face in time with his now labored breathing and I felt his hands lightly fondling my breasts. "Nothing will be wrong so long as I have you." He breathes, putting a slight amount more weight on me. I still had my hands entangled in his hair, but my vectors were still free to touch him. I cautiously extend my vectors allowing them to caress his back, and he lets out a grunt of confusion.

"How…?" He asks, and I shake my head a smile forming against his lips. I could feel his tongue prodding against mine, his hands still placed against my breasts. His nimble fingers met a tender spot, and I emitted an involuntary moan. It was pleasure and … something similar to pain but I didn't want it to ever stop. It made me wonder if I was a masochist, or if perhaps all humans felt this way when placed in such a situation of intimacy. "Don't leave me." He whispers, his voice highlighted with slight panic he was clearly trying to shroud. I shake my head, thoughts of Yuka playing like a tape in my mind.

"I have to eventually." I murmur, disappointment matching within both him and myself. I didn't want to lose him, but I wasn't so sure I had a choice.

"Take me with you." He pleaded, the sudden loudness in his voice making me wince. I felt a wave of eagerness pass over me, replaced with impatience as his hands left my warm bodice, and replaced themselves on his sides. I shook my head, visions of men with guns and blood filling the streets. Flashes of the days I had spent in that place synonymous with hell, filled my eyes with tears. My lips hardened into a hard scowl, and I brushed Kohta out of the way as I walked outside. "Wait!" He yelled after me, his eyes wide with child-like confusion. I could only run my hair through my hands, and ignore him. I needed time alone, to think, and to process the dangers I was putting him in with my very existence being known.

Was I honestly selfish enough to elude my fate and embark in the fantasies I once had as a child? I was no human, and it was time to stop acting like it. I wanted to seek out vengeance. All the people who had once hurt me… they needed to suffer. I felt the demon inside me unraveling my mind, wanting me to embrace the darker portions of my subconscious once more.

I complied.


	11. Chapter 10: Danger

Kohta:

I looked for Kaede for almost an hour in the nearby woods before finally going back to the house. It had begun to pour rain, and I felt my hands clench as thunder cracked loud outside, illuminating my windows with a flash of lightning. I couldn't understand… what had I done wrong? Had I hurt her? Offended her? Guilt swam over me, and panic was slowly setting in. I had meant it when I said I couldn't lose her again, and I knew I would never stop looking for her. I couldn't bear to be apart from her… She was apart of me.

Kaede:

I couldn't burden him any longer. It was obvious he had forgotten, or maybe never fully understood, my role in the fate of humanity as a whole. I couldn't take on the pretense of a human girl any longer. If he wanted a mate, his… his Yuka would fare fine.

Easy enough to think, but my insides churned with envy. Deep within I knew that I wanted to be with him. But I knew it was wrong, not that morals had ever stopped me before.

I promised him I wouldn't kill anymore. I promised him I would be good now. Could I so easily turn my back on something I had promised _him_? Yet, I knew my reasons were just. Those monsters couldn't be allowed to live, not anymore. It was insufferable to know that they were still breathing the same air as I, and tainting the hearts of the planet itself. They were impure, even in my eyes. How could they dictate what was and was not worthy of life?

I could remember being younger, wanting nothing more than to be normal. Guilt constantly rushing through me, threatening to tear me to pieces, and trying to contend with it daily. Nights filled with longing as I watched the other children with their families and peers. Feeling so alone, always so alone. I wouldn't ever admit just how alone I always felt, and even now I felt the familiar longing panging somewhere in my chest. A burning sensation in my eyes as they blurred, and I wrapped my arms around my knees. My vectors hovered over me, serving as a reminder of just how little humanity I possessed.

What if everything they stood for was right? What if the Diiclonius didn't deserve life and truly was monstrous? Something to be exterminated in a single instance? A numbness overtook me, and I could hear footsteps not far from me. I took off then, agiley leaping onto a low tree branch almost silently. The crack of thunder made the low noise I made inaudible, which was to my paranoia's liking. Straining my hearing, I could make out a conversation out of my eye's reach.

"It has been years sir, what makes you think she would still be alive? And even if she were… what makes you think she would be stupid enough to stay in this area?"

I determined it was a male, and from the hesitation in mid-sentence, I could judge fair enough he was younger than his colleague. If anything he was likely something of a new recruit, still trying to get his bearings.

"Do you understand who we are talking about here?" A slightly louder and certainly more gruff voice responded. His voice sounded incredulous and there was a long pause before anything else was said on either side. I waited, hardly daring to breathe. They knew I was here. "I told them it would have been better to have someone with more experience…" His voice trailed off. So I was right, the other person was a recruit of sorts.

"N-no sir. I just don't see why she would be s-stupid enough to stay in the area." The novice responded, his voice shaking a little. My face flushed red in frustration upon the comment of me being anything along the lines of stupid, but I remained still and silent, thus undetectable. I could almost feel the tension between the two of them, and I could hear them coming closer, but nearby trees and shrubbery blocked my view even still. My muscles tightened and my vectors stretched further around me as I took a slow deep breath.

"Something we have noted with Diiclonius, they become attached to select humans fairly easily. It is a personality flaw, at least in my opinion, but it makes capture and extermination fairly simple."

His words made me think of Nana. I hadn't thought to ask Kohta what had become of her, and my facial features softened upon the memory of her. Although I wasn't initially fond of her, she was one of my kind, and because of that a certain level of fondness had grown for her within me. She had truly loved the man she believed to be her father, and I could only imagine the grieving she must still have in his regard.

"But who would she be attached to sir?"

The novice's confidence seemed to have grown a bit upon receiving information without a stern reprimanding. I wondered how much he actually knew about me, how much either of them knew.

"There was a male she was spotted with several times, we believe she may have taken a liking to him. He is married as of now, but his residence is nearby."

Anger filled me with such intensity that I almost fell off of the branch I perched upon. They were talking about Kohta. I was right, I had put him in danger. How could I? This was all my fault. I needed to fix this. But would killing these two fix it? How many others knew of him?

"What actions do we take sir?"

They were now growing further away from me, and I had to strain my ears to hear the response.

"We wait and see. Either way, he and his wife will need to be sacrificed, because it is too much of a risk. They know too much. After th-"

And then his voice faded. Fear filled me. They couldn't kill Kohta. I couldn't lose him.

I refused to lose anyone else I cared about. I couldn't bear it.


	12. Chapter 11: Yukito

AN: 2550 views? I love you guys. ^_^ You don't even understand how happy that even makes me. I never expected this to get views at all and you guyssss…. -Hugs-I'm sorry… I'm having OTP related feels… I was watching Anime… I'm so sorry.

But… Here comes a new character, mixing things up on you all….

Meanwhile at the facility….

"Is there even anything left we can do with subject 37?" Hitori asked, a slight edge to his voice. This was the type of question I expected from the recent novices that had been recruited, not from someone who had been involved in this process for years. Subject 37 was an older Diiclonius, somewhere around the age of 17. Her eyes were filled with tears, although I doubted the beast could actually feel pain. Shot after shot was aimed at her, being deflected by her vectors. It appeared that the older they grew, the stronger they became, which was a concern. Lucy had escaped years before, narrowly escaping capture, and still had yet to be found. The longer it took to wipe her out, the more of a threat she became.

"Are you authorized to question your superiors?" I inquired, letting my own frustration leak into my tone. I knew it wasn't necessarily fair to take out my stress on Hitori, but he had provided me an outlet that I so desperately needed. I hear a low cry, and my attention returned to the monster who was secured to a wall. Her legs were twisted at an awkward angle, from her crumpling in exhaustion and pain. I felt no pity or guilt rise in me, for this abomination didn't even deserve to live. In some ways, this was as much a mercy as any. I took a deep breath, lighting myself a cigarette and waiting for myself to relax. Hitori scrunched his nose a bit, and I remembered he had a bit of a hatred for cigarette smoke, but I couldn't find anything in me that really gave a shit. He gave me a sideways glare, that I casually ignored. He gave a low grunt, and left me to myself in the control room, which didn't bother me a bit.

I pressed the cigarette to the ash tray until it smudged with ashen remains. I felt anxiety pressing up against me from all sides at the thought of Lucy. There was no telling what damage she could do, let alone what harm she had already done. My hand clenched at my side, I began punching combinations in on the remote in front of me. I met the creature behind the thick glass's eyes, and saw her lower lip quiver upon seeing the remote. She knew what was coming, and somehow that made it all the better. The more she suffered, the more I got out of it. I shook my head, I couldn't let my own personal affairs and condolences get in the way of research. She needed to live, for now at the very least. But no one ever said I needed to be considerate of any pain tolerances it may or may not have.

A low hum resounded throughout the room, and I the girl before me, clothed only in scraps of bandage that was stained with her filth of blood, visibly shook. I watched as collateral she couldn't deflect about a month and a half ago, whizzed towards her. She let out a loud cry, and then….

A loud resounding 'boom' as she deflected it at last. She was thrown back, her head hitting the wall, and she slumped downwards for a moment, before beating the glass with both her fists and vectors.

"No more! No more!" She screamed, he voice high pitched and filled with terror. I slowly shook my head, before pressing a panel on the side wall. It was time for her to be restrained back to her chamber for a while, she had grown too strong too quickly.

I watched as she complied with the guards, something of a mystery to me. Then again, I was the one she hated, she must look at them as her saviors. Taking her away from the evil man with the remote. Taking her back to her own internal salvation, her own evil company. Afterall, what company could the devil itself confide in but to itself? Surely the creature recognized it didn't deserve anything better than this, that it would surely rot in Hell for merely existing ANYWAY. That there was no redemption for a Diclonii. They were cursed from the moment they were born to bear the weight of death and the own shit they stirred would be dished back out.

I closed my eyes as images of my wife flowed through my mind. I could remember… I could remember Lucy… tearing her to pieces mercilessly. The fear that shone in Andra's eyes as the demon slowly destroyed her. The cries that she emitted that were futile, while I was restrained and unable to do anything. I had watched from a distance, feeling useless in a way I refused to ever feel again. If anything, this was a cry for vengence. I couldn't stand it when some of the technichians here tried to say that they couldn't all be evil, because they were. They all were. They were satan's very own spawning. His own creation.

"What the hell were you thinking Yukito?" I could hear one of the directors yell in my direction. My anger boiled, and I couldn't even take it anymore. The memories of my wife's death had disturbed the false calm I so often provided, and with that, my pretense melted away for a moment.

"I was THINKING that they are all fucking monsters who shouldn't even be given the grace to live, and what should we care if they suffer? I was THINKING that they aren't here to be treated like people when they are Satan himself and that they should all rot in Hell and…" I broke off, my breathing ragged with my anger. The director only stood before me, waiting for me to calm down. He had grown to know me so well, and yet he kept his name a secret from us all. "I…I'm sorry. My … my past got the best of me." I murmur, and he only nodded, and then walked away, leaving me in my own misery.


	13. Chapter 12: Intimacy

Kaede:

I sprinted back to the main house as soon as I was sure the bastards were out of sight.

"Kohta!" I yelled, fear gripping me as if a snake was entwined inside me. The most poisonous of venoms were leeching from its fangs, rotting within my very heart, succumbing me to anxiety's tainted thoughts and motives. I began to tremble, but then Kohta's presence was before me. "Where the hell were you?" He demanded, clearly angry. I didn't care, he was okay, and that was what mattered. That was the only thing that mattered. Tears were streaming down my face, and his face distorted from anger to concern within the same time frame that I fled into his arms.

"I'm so sorry… So so sorry…" I sobbed, my voice choken, and my soul broken. I didn't know how to right all the wrongs I had committed to him, and now he was doomed to the same fate as I. Death. I couldn't allow this to be so. For he was my anchor. He was my hold. He was all I knew and all I had of love, and I was not going to allow that to leave me. I wasn't going to allow them to deprive this evil, disgusting, depleting world of the only good thing it had left. Humanity. Not humans, not people. But actual humanity. Something the world was lacking in great measure.

His arms were around me, and he kissed my hair gently, slowly swaying back and forth.

"You need not be sorry, you've done nothing wrong. I'm sorry if I went too fast… or if I hurt you. It was wrong of me to take advantage of the situation like that." He murmured, his hands trembling against my waist, as if I was merely a hallucination he feared would cease to continue.

I look up at him, pressing my lips to his. The ever encompassing danger that was pressing upon us, made me want him in a way I had never wanted anything. I wanted him. All of him. Everywhere that our skin and bones and flesh would allow. His tongue prodded into my mouth, and unlike other times, I allowed it. His arms tightened around my waist, pulling me tighter into his embrace. My hands lightly traced his cheekbones, and he shuddered slightly as I ran a finger down his neck,

"Tell me if you want me to stop." He whispers, his hand reaching under the back of my shirt. I only nodded curtly, before cutting off any future words with my mouth against his. This moment was so pure, so right, that I couldn't understand how it could belong to an abomination such as me. But I refused to let it end without a fight.

His hand paused on my shoulder blades, recognizing that I wasn't wearing, nor had I ever worn, a bra. He pulled away, leaving me anxious to know why. His face was filled with a childlike excitement as he grabbed my left hand and quickly led me down their hallway. We stopped in the room that he and Yuka shared, and he kissed me once more, with a ferocity that lit a fire within me that burned with more brightness than any fire could ever possess. It was as if something inside me was awakening, as if I was alive for the first time in so long. Kohta was reviving me, and I was becoming a part of him.

He pulled me to the floor with him, gently pulling my shirt over my head. I cautiously pressed my tongue into his mouth, and felt his eyebrows raise with surprise. His tongue gently prods mine, guiding it gently in out mouths, and a gentle rhythm of tongues and lips began. It was a hypnotic beat that kept us intwined closer and closer as the night sky grew darker. His hands cupped my breasts, prodding and squeezing them in ways that made me melt. His lips never left mine, and several moans were released into his mouth.

He pulled his own shirt over his head, and then guided my hand to his lowers, and I could feel a firmness through the fabric of his pants. He exhaled laboriously, and I turned my head to the side confused by the hardness of this area. He slowly pulled down his pants, and then removed them entirely.

AN: I'm not sure whether to detail what happens next in the following chapter, or just have it… continue after. Thoughts?


	14. Chapter 13: Lemon

AN: A lemon was requested, so I will do my best….Also, I hope everyone had a happy holiday JKaede:He slowly pulled my pants down, and then threw them to the other side of the room. His mouth met mine again, and my skin was completely barren. His warm upper body felt good against my cold breasts, and his hand was tracing my thigh, making me moan. His tongue was prodding mine, and I could feel myself emanating a wetness, and tears began to fall from my eyes. He stopped, freezing before me, before wrapping his arms around me. "I'm sorry…. I'm sorry…." He murmured urgently, his voice shaking slightly. I shook my head, guiding my lips back to his after fighting to push his embrace off of me. He cocked his head, not responding for a moment, clearly confused.

"It's okay Kohta…" I breathe, tracing his jaw line over and over with my fingers. His face was warm, and his eyes were dark with longing. I wasn't sure what entirely was happening, but I didn't want it to stop. He began circling my sex with his fingers, making me cry out with irritation. His mouth trapped mine in a sadistic game of longing and tension and I finally gave in and dropped to the floor, his body following.

"You like that?" He whispered in my ear, and I nodded feverishly, as his fingers one at a time entered me. Each one feeling more uncomfortable than the last. He began going in and out, faster and faster, making me write and moan on the floor with feelings of pleasure and longing that were foreign to me until now.

"Mnnghghh" I cried out, reaching my arms around his neck, wanting to draw him closer to me. Wanting his lips against mine again. Wanting. Wanting. Wanting.

He resisted however, pushing his fingers in deeper, and deeper against my moist lower.

"Are you okay?" He asked suddenly, pausing, with his fingers still lodged inside me. I nodded, not trusting my ability to speak. Okay was an understatement.

He pulled out of me, and I curled into a ball, my knees bent to my chest. I lay my head against his knee, wanting to me close to him in any way I could. I couldn't understand why he had stopped, it had felt so good. I wanted him to come back. I wanted his warmth against mine. I shivered with cold, and let out a tiny whimper.

"Shhshhhshhh." He purred, and I looked up, noting that he had somehow become barren of clothes aswell without me noticing. He gently pushed my back on the floor, and I looked up at him meeting his gaze. His eyes showed the same longing they had been, but they also showed a love that I had been searching for my whole life. Every murder. Every tear shed. Everything I had ever done. I felt like it was my own undoing. I felt like no one would ever love was rewriting my own rules.

He gently spread my legs with his hand, guiding his lower body to rest against my thigh, careful not to put a lot of weight on me. He began to guide his hardened sex into me, and I cried out in pain. It was painful, but I couldn't bring myself to tell him to stop. I made a few more noises, all of which were loud, until he made a final push. My entire body melted at that instant. A barrier had been broken, and my very soul seemed to be rejoicing. He was mine and I was his and nothing could ruin this moment. We stayed like that for a long time, neither of us moving, not daring to ruin the moment.

Then he began thrusting, first gently, but gradually with more force. I couldn't decide if I liked the harder ones or not. They were uncomfortable for sure, but they also felt good. This sex thing was entirely new to me, and I could tell it wasn't new to Kohta. He and Yuka had shared this. An anger built inside me, I wanted to be superior to her. I wanted to be his lover, his true lover. I wrapped my vectors around him, and pushed him to the ground. I began to thrust against him, and he let out a moan. His dick was mine, and I was his, and he was mine and everything was right. I was superior to Yuka. I couldn't see her ever taking control like this. I couldn't see Kohta looking at her like this.I couldn't envision a moment more right than this one.


	15. Chapter 14: Surprise

AN: Two Chapters in one day? Absolutely J

KaedeWe lay there like that, out bodies entwined, for I don't even know how long. My head was on his chest, and he was stroking my hair, and light was starting to stream through the window and everything was just…. So right.

I heard a bang out in the main room, and my senses immediately went on hyper alert. My vectors stretched around me, and one of them protectively wrapped around Kohta. He was sound asleep. I slowly rose, not wanting to wake him, and walked acrossed the room, placing a blanket over him. I hear another bang in the main room, and my eyes tightened. I kissed Kohta on the forehead, before walking out the room. I began to walk down the hall, but the footsteps began drawing closer. I quickly ducked into the bathroom, silent in the shadows.

"Kohta?" Anger filled me. I couldn't believe this. Kohta had lied to me again. He said a week. It had only been a few days. Yuka was home. Tears welled up in my eyes. I had been stupid enough to delude myself into thinking this could last. I was such an idiot.

"Kohta I'm home earl-, oh there you are. Wake up stupid!" She called out, in her usual voice. The hairs on my neck were standing up. I couldn't bring myself to leave. I wasn't sure I would be able to bring myself to stay either.

"Kaede?" I heard him respond groggily.

"Who the hell is Kaede? Have you been seeing other girls? I swear this is the last time I go anywhere without you. And I thought I could trust you. All you men are the same, I swear pigs." I heard her becoming hysterical again, overdramatic as always. "But I missed you so much Kohta. You missed me too right? Say you missed me too. I know you did, its okay I forgive you." I rolled my eyes, and almost felt bad for Kohta. Almost. "I thought you were out for another few days Yuka."There was a long pause. "I came back early. I missed you too much…"I frowned, realizing at once the damage my coming back had caused. I may have just ruined a marriage. I could hear the floor creak in there, and I hoped to god he didn't take off the bla- "What are you doing naked you pervert! There was a woman here wasn't there?! Is she still here? What the hell are you doing? Are you trying to ruin our marriage?" She broke off, clearly crying.

"Yuka calm down. It's not what you thi-" She cut him off.

"You're right. I'm over reacting."I narrowed my eyes, that was certainly out of character. Yuka was one of the most irritatingly highstrung people I'd ever had the misfortune of coming acrossed, so her not being difficult for once… Was a new one.

"I'll be right back, I have to go the bathroom." I could hear Yuka murmur. My body froze. I could hear her steps coming closer, and I was filled with a sudden rage. My vectors stretched around me, and I braced myself for the shitstorm that was on its way.


	16. Chapter 15: Lost Her

Kohta:Where the hell had Kaede gone? It couldn't have been a dream. So then where was she? She had to still be somewhere in the house…

"Yuka wait!" I call out, and she turns to face me, still naked now in the hallway behind her.

"Yes?" She asks, her voice now lined with irritation. I narrowed my eyes slightly at her tone but took a deep breath and continued.

"Can I use the bathroom before you real quick?" I asked, and she nodded slowly, confusion highlighting her features. "I'll only be a minute, I promise."

I slip into the bathroom, quickly closing the door behind me. My hunch had been right.

"Kaede, listen-"

She cuts me off before I can say anymore than that.

"No Kohta, I am rather done with listening to you and everyone else telling me what to think, who to be, and what to feel." I could see moisture in her eyes.

"Please Kaede I sw-"

"No Kohta. I can't anymore, okay? I'm done pretending to be something I'm not. I'm not a filthy human. I'm not going to be the destruction of your marriage. I'm not going to hurt you or your wife anymore. I am leaving. And I am not coming back." Her voice became stronger and stronger as she spoke. For a moment, fear sparked within me.

"You can't leave me." I whisper, desperation leeching into me.

"The thing is Kohta, there aren't very many things I can't do anymore. And there are even fewer things I won't do. So it seems that you are out of luck."

I could hear a knock on the door.

"Kohta? Are you okay?" Yuka's voice asked, shrill in comparison to Kaede and mine's feverish whispers.

"Yeah, just give me another minute." I call out, glancing at the door. I turned back, to continue to plead with my love, but she was gone. She left through the narrow window in the bathroom. I had lost her.


	17. Chapter 16: Leaving

Kohta:For the next week and a half Yuka managed to irritate the hell out of me. More than usual. I mean, I loved Yuka, but for the love of hell, she was getting on my nerves. I missed Kaede more than anything, which only heightened my irritation. I kept thinking of her warm pale skin, her breasts, her rough voice…

"Kohta? Why have you been ignoring me? I thought you loved me! I hate when you act like this, you know how I get. Kohta? Are you even listening to me?" Yuka nagged, abruptly pulling me from my thoughts.

"That's fucking it. I'm leaving." I retort, getting up, and walking back into our room. For a moment she didn't follow me, and in that time I managed to find a small duffel bag. I began putting necessities into it. I couldn't take this anymore, I needed to find Kaede.

"What do you mean leaving?" She murmured, her voice wavering, as she walked into the room behind me. Her eyes met my hands as I put a pair of slacks into the darkly colored bag, and she burst into tears. "Why are you doing this Kohta? You can't just leave! You're always doing this!" She slapped me acrossed the face, hard and fast, making my head jerk to the side. I froze like that for a moment, before straightening myself and narrowing my eyes.

"Don't you dare hit me. I am sick and tired of you acting like I am your little toy to order around as you please. All you ever do it complain and whine, and then when you don't get your way you turn into a hysterical…."

"A hysterical what, Kohta?" She whispered, her voice thick, with either anger or sadness, I couldn't decipher. Or maybe I didn't care enough to find out.

"A hysterical bitch." I finish, walking past her, pushing past her narrow shoulders. I walked into the bathroom, throwing a few other things into my bag before zipping it up.

"Don't you dare leave Kohta." She growled behind me. I turned, irritation consuming me.

"Or what? You'll slap me again? You'll cry?"

She characteristically ran into the bedroom, only this time, I didn't follow her. I was done consoling her. I stood in front of the front door for a moment, pausing before opening it, feeling a moments worth of guilt, but I swallowed it and place a hand on the handle.

Only I needn't turn it, for it was pulled open with great force. Two men in black suits pushed me back into my house, one remaining in front of my door, and the other going down my hallway.

"Is your wife home?" The man in front of me asked. He had stubbles on his chin, and his dark hair was slicked back. His eyes were dark, and I could see one of his hands resting over what appeared to be a gun. I swallowed hard, before answering.

"No."

I hear the other man, who was in a matching suit, abruptly open one of the doors in the hallway, and I turn quickly. The bathroom. I silently prayed Yuka would, just this once, shut the hell up. For her sake.

"Kohta, stop slamming doors, you know I hate that. If you are going to leave, just go!" She yells, her voice thick with tears, from the bedroom. I swear under my breath. The man in front of me abruptly grabs my shirt collar and my eyes widen.

"Don't lie to us again." He says, his voice filled with acidity. The other man returned beside me, holding Yuka firmly. She was, thankfully, silent, eyeing the man's gun that he held tightly in his left hand. He gripped her arm in his right.

"Don't try anything" The other man growls, as he holds a gun up to Yuka's temple, "Or she dies."

Sure, I was pretty pissed off with Yuka, but that didn't mean I wanted her to die. So I nodded, deciding to be compliant, if only for her sake. He had long blonde hair, in a loose pony tail, and bright green eyes.

"Who the hell are you?" Yuka demands, her voice tinged with fear.

"I don't think, Miss, that you are in a position to be asking the questions." The blonde man murmurs, pressing the gun harder against her head.

"Knock it off, Kuron." The dark haired man snapped. So the blonde's name was Kuron… The name didn't sound familiar. These men didn't look like police, and I doubted they were secret service or anything of the like, since I hadn't done anything illegal.

"What do you want?" I ask, keeping my tone as light as I could, but it still came out strained.

Kuron met my gaze for a moment before his colleague responded.

"I want to ask you some questions."

"Alright," I prompted, impatience leaking into my already strained tone.

"Have you seen your childhood friend recently?"

I opened my mouth to lie, to say I had no idea what he was talking about, but he cut me of before I could utter a sound.

"I want you to think real REAL hard, because if you answer wrong…" He trailed off, glancing over at Kuron who held a gun up to Yuka's head.


	18. Chapter 17: Taken

AN: Sorry for the long wait guys. I've just been so busy and honestly a little lazy. But this story is almost at 10,000 views! You guys are amazing, thank you so much for reading. I love you all so much 3

Kohta:  
>I clenched my hands at my sides. There had to be a way to get us out of this without endangering Kaede. I looked over at Yuka, pleading with my eyes that she not say anything at all. I wasn't sure if they knew about all those summers ago when she had washed up on the beach, or if they truly believed it was just a childhood friend. Yuka and I hadn't talked about Nyuu since the day she... since the day I thought I lost her.<br>"You going to say something or not? We don't have all day, and if you need some convincing..." The larger of the two gentlemen clicked the safety off before placing it back against Yuka's head.  
>"Wait!" Yuka yelled, her voice shrill and panicked. I tensed, taking in a deep breath and holding it. "Are you talking about Nyuu?"<br>The man next to me froze.  
>"Nyuu...?" He asked, his voice low and strained. Yuka nodded feverishly, the gun still pressed to her temple.<br>"Pink hair, horn-like things...? She washed up on a beach, literally, several summers ago. When we first moved into this house. Before Kohta and I... before we were married. We haven't seen her in years. Why? Is she in some sort of trouble?"  
>It was amazing how much Yuka could talk; especially when the one thing I needed her to do was keep her damn mouth shut.<br>"Take them into the van. Yukito will want them in for questioning."  
>Before I could say or do anything, I felt a sharp jab at my side. I could hear Yuka screaming, yelling, begging. I wanted to run, fight, yell... something. But I had tunnel vision. I slumped to the ground, feeling one of them kick me in the stomach.<br>Everything went dark.


	19. Chapter 18: Rescued

Kaede:  
>I couldn't leave him like I did. There was something just so... I just couldn't. There was something about Kohta that I couldn't run away from. I couldn't hide it from myself. I couldn't escape it. I wanted to drown in him, and I was selfish enough to let myself. I was almost back to his house, thinking of how to make this work, when I heard screaming. Yuka's screaming.<br>A small part of me wanted to rejoice, but the rest of me knew something was really wrong. Especially when she started yelling for Kohta to "wake up". I began running through the underbrush, minding to stay out of sight. I heard a gunshot, and then I heard Yuka sobbing. I began running faster.  
>I made it to the front of the house, and crouched behind a wide tree. I could see a black van, and two men dragging Kohta's body out the door. He was either unconscious or dead, but the two men... I recognized. They were from the institute. My prison. My hell.<br>This was my fault. I never should have come back.  
>I scanned the area, but didn't see any others, so I cautiously climbed out of the underbrush just as the car started. I heard one of the two gentlemen say something, but it was two late. My vectors had grown incredibly stronger over the years, and with minimal effort I flipped the large vehicle on its side. Panic instantly filled me, I had forgotten Kohta was inside.<br>The windows on the left side, now against the ground, were smashed, and I watched as the guy on the right side fought with the air bag. I ripped the door off of its hinge. I could hear them both swearing quite excessively, and I felt genuinely amused. I wondered if Yuka was dead, and felt my spirits raise, but my mood hit the ground when I heard a soft gun click as the man pulled himself out of the car. His forehead was bleeding slightly, and he looked extremely pissed.  
>He aimed his gun at me, and I narrowed my eyes into slits. I took a step towards him, and he fired. I disarmed the bullet, a smug smile coming to my lips. I was then filled with faint horror. There was blood forming around my thigh, he had actually hit me. But how?<br>He fired again, hitting my thigh again, despite me disarming the bullet. I fell to my knees as blood flowed out of my artery. As he prepared to fire a third time, I swiped the gun out of his hands, arming it myself. I easily cocked the gun, and the man took a step backward. I let out a low laugh, and I opened fire. I shot the gun, and watched in bewilderment as three bullets came out at almost sonic speed.  
>So that was how the bastard had hit me...<br>He sunk to the ground. I had hit his jugular. I wanted him to die slowly. I had almost missed the adrenaline of killing.  
><em>That's because it's who you are... Lucy. Embrace the Diclonii part of you. Don't shut it out. You can be strong. No one will ever be able to hurt you or Kohta again. Just embrace it. Let it through.<em>  
>I shook my head violently, waiting for the second guy to make his move. I waited another minute, before walking to the side of the car, vectors hovering around me like snakes waiting to strike.<br>"Please don't kill me...I was just taking orders." The man pleaded, there were tears in his eyes. I could see Kohta in the back seat, limp, but breathing.  
>"What did you do to him?" I asked, ignoring that the man had begun to sob.<br>"It...It's just a drug Miss... Please. I have a wife... and two little girls at home." He continued, tears flowing freely. He knew he was going to die.  
>I always found it funny how much humans fight for the lives they lead, even when they are not worth even living. Even when they are the scum polluting the planet. <em>Even when they know they need to die. Kill him Lucy.<br>_I didn't hesitate again. I tore his head from his shoulders, feeling the vertebrae in his neck crack, and feeling his entire body convulse and let out one final cry. I couldn't help but smile.  
><em>Remember how this feels. Remember what they tried to do to Kohta.<br>_Kohta! I ripped the door off of its hinge in the backseat, gently pulling him into my arms. I carefully set him on the ground in front of me, before walking over the the man I left to bleed out. I gingerly prodded him with my foot, feeling him roll over onto his back. Dead.  
>Satisfied, I carried Kohta inside, deciding to clean up the mess outside once I was sure he was alright. The man had said he was just drugged... and he still had a pulse, so I had no reason to think he was lying. Humans tend to tell the truth when they are about to die. Funny little quirk of the species.<br>I could feel blood running down my leg. I had forgotten, I'd actually been hit. And in what looked like a main artery. I placed my hand to my wound, already feeling lightheaded from blood loss. Hospitals were out of the question; too much of a risk. I'd rather die then end up at that Hell.  
>And maybe I would.<p> 


	20. Chapter 19: The Clinic

Kohta:  
>I woke up, my head pounding from the drug they had used. I rolled over, coming face to face with Kaede.<br>"I thought…" I broke off, my voice echoing in my head painfully. She shook her head, handing me a glass of water.  
>"I came back," She whispered, her face pale and her eyes slightly glazed. Something was wrong. I looked at her hands, and they were red with blood. She had a washcloth folded and pressed against her thigh. She was bleeding out. They must have shot her. Somehow.<br>"Kaede. We need to take you to the hospital." I murmur, my head reverberating my words.  
>She shook her head vehemently.<br>"They will find me. By now they probably have men everywhere. We need to leave this house soon. They will be here before dawn."  
>I glance outside; it is dark out. The moon is dim and the stars are faint, making me feel a sense of subdued melancholy.<br>"At least let me look at it?" I murmur, my voice more of a hiss as I sat up. My body felt sore and my head felt heavy. She moves the compress and my eyes widen. A bullet was sticking out of the wound, which was already festering slightly. It would be infected soon, but she would die of bloodloss before that could happen. I take her hand, leading her to my car. She doesn't resist, and gets in the seat next to me. I begin to drive to clinic that isn't usually busy. It Is run by a local family, whose son I went to school with for several years. I hand Kaede a hat, and she begrudging puts it back on, but makes no move to get unbuckled.  
>"A friend of mine's family runs this clinic. It isn't a mainstream hospital of any kind. Look," I gesture to the lot, "there is only one other car in the lot." She frowns, before putting the rest of her hair into the hat. No pink locks were visible. She opened her car door, and walked inside, me not far behind her.<br>I walk up to the front desk, small beads of sweat running down my face.  
>"We are closed," A balding man behind the desk intones.<br>"Please. My friend was shot." I murmur, my voice pleading but somehow calm.  
>"What?! Why would you bring her here? There are plenty of-" He breaks off before taking a deep breath. "Bring her in through that door."<br>Kaede gets up slowly, clearly dazed. I grab her arm, helping to balance her, the fogginess in my head beginning to fade. The man tells me to wait in the waiting room, and so I take a seat.


End file.
